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| Orca Hunting Whale Sharks | |
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| Topic Started: Oct 24 2017, 10:42 AM (494 Views) | |
| Terraraptor411 | Oct 24 2017, 10:42 AM Post #1 |
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Troodontid
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Does anyone have any evidence/documents/studies about the interaction of Orcas and Whale Sharks? I've been trying to find information on this but I can't seem to find any. It would make sense if Orcas did hunt whale sharks, they are easy prey like minke whales, a common food source for orcas. And before anyone says they don't live together, while yes orcas do prefer colder waters, they are found in the tropics almost worldwide, and near the equator is where whale sharks thrive. |
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| Pangolin12 | Oct 24 2017, 12:48 PM Post #2 |
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Nerd
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I couldn’t find anything which mentions whale sharks specifically, but orcas do eat sharks (in general), and there’s no reason they wouldn’t eat whale sharks. |
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| Terraraptor411 | Oct 24 2017, 03:30 PM Post #3 |
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Troodontid
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I am aware of orca predation on numerous species of sharks, I'm curious about their predation on whale sharks specifically. Yes there's no reason for them not to, but then why is finding things on it so difficult? In general: If they do hunt whale sharks, then were are the accounts? We have accounts and documentation of Orcas hunting various other sharks and large cetaceans, shouldn't there be some data on this? And if not, why? What makes whale sharks different that they are off the menu? Orcas hunt everything from small fish to the rare blue whale, what could make whale sharks unappleaing? |
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| Setaceous Cetacean | Oct 24 2017, 05:23 PM Post #4 |
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Great question! I used to wonder how the ocean sunfish avoided predators. I wish I could give you a good answer for this but there really isn't much on the web about orcas hunting whale sharks. Some things I do know that might be helpful... -It is documented that young whale sharks are eaten by a wide variety of oceanic predators, including marlins, blue sharks, barracuda, and orcas. -Orcas used to regularly scavenge the carcasses made by whalers, so it isn't crazy to imagine them feeding on dead whale sharks. -Whale sharks have very thick, tough skin (up to six inches thick), and sharks are generally less nutritious than, say, a big blubbery whale. This is why orcas don't hunt humans either; we don't have a good taste, since we don't have enough blubber. Hope these answered your question somewhat. Most of the websites I read said that it's possible that orcas feed on whale sharks, but they didn't back it up with any evidence or documented cases. |
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| Terraraptor411 | Oct 24 2017, 05:35 PM Post #5 |
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Troodontid
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Interesting, what did you find when you were curious about sunfish? Young are vunerable to just about anything, so that's not surprising. Interesting, I didn't know that their skin was that thick. That seems like a good deterrent for sure, especially when you factor in the dendrites on their skin. Still not quite enough to explain the apparently 0 documented cases of orcas preying on whale sharks, though it certainly would explain why they are not common interactions. Yeah I found the same thing, vague statements saying orcas eat just about anything but no concrete examples of hunting behavior on whale sharks. |
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| Setaceous Cetacean | Oct 24 2017, 06:02 PM Post #6 |
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To put it simply, sunfish just aren't that tasty. They feed on nothing but jellyfish, so their flesh is saggy and watery. To top it off, their skin is thick and rubbery; trying to puncture it is like trying to bite into a tire. It's rather interesting; they seem to be the only case of surviving predation through being nutrient poor and generally not worth eating. There are many documented cases of predators, especially sea lions, attacking them, but I think that the open sea is large enough for many of them to just not be noticed. |
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| Niedfaru | Oct 24 2017, 09:44 PM Post #7 |
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We also have to take into account that so much of what goes on in the oceans is unnoticed by us yet. Until we can confirm that it doesn't happen, then it's as much speculation that there's a reason why not as it is to say that it does happen. |
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| Sheather | Oct 24 2017, 09:53 PM Post #8 |
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Wikipedia cites a documented orca predation on a whale shark but the link seems to be behind a paywall. |
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| IIGSY | Oct 24 2017, 10:12 PM Post #9 |
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A huntsman spider that wastes time on the internet because it has nothing better to do
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Does anything eat orcas? |
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| Terraraptor411 | Oct 24 2017, 11:57 PM Post #10 |
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That is really fascinating. I've never heard of an organism using that as an anti-predator defense.
That's an excellent point and I agree in principle, but considering Orca's remain near the surface and relatively close to coastlines, makes me think it would be easier to find interaction between the two.
Aw shucks, that's a shame. Well thanks for looking into it. Would you mind providing a link to that link? I'm curious to try it myself, and my campus library has a request form that could order the paper for free.
I'm mostly guessing here, but young orcas are likely prey only if stranded from the pod. Then they could be prey to large sharks (Tigers, Great Whites, Greenland). Or, a young or juvenile orca could fall prey to a polar bear. Since the bears are known to pull belugas onto land, a juvenile orca of a similar size should be potential prey. As for adults, only the rare human whaling vessel probably provides them any predation. |
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| Sheather | Oct 25 2017, 12:10 AM Post #11 |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale#cite_note-124 From up in the article, "In July 1992, two killer whales attacked, killed and fed on an 8-metre (26 ft) long whale shark, Rhincodon typus, in the waters off Bahia de los Angeles in Baja California." |
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| Terraraptor411 | Oct 25 2017, 12:23 AM Post #12 |
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Thank you. If I get access to the article and its legal I'll post it here for you all to see, otherwise I can always take screenshots. |
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| peashyjah | Oct 25 2017, 08:42 PM Post #13 |
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Bydo
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At least this gives us more evidence for now. |
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| Terraraptor411 | Oct 26 2017, 11:38 AM Post #14 |
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Unfortunately I cannot get access to the article in question, my campus library can't access it either. But at least its a potential source of interaction. |
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| peashyjah | Oct 26 2017, 05:56 PM Post #15 |
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Bydo
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That's true about it being a great source. |
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Discontinued projects: The New Ostracoderms (i might continue with this project again someday) The Americas (where in 58 million years from now in the future North and South America has both become isolated island continents) All Expansions (my attempt at expanding the universe of All Tomorrows by Nemo Ramjet aka C.M. Kosemen, started June 6, 2018) Anthropozoic (my attempt at expanding the universe of Man After Man and also a re-imagining of it, coming 2019 or 2020) New Cenozoica (my attempt at expanding the universe of The New Dinosaurs and also a re-imagining of it, also coming 2019 or 2020) All Alternatives or All Changes (a re-telling of All Tomorrows but with some minor and major "changes", coming June 10, 2018) | |
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